Our Projects

OPTEL’s GeoTraceability offering has supported data collection and traceability projects across South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Our tools can be adapted and applied to a wide variety of supply chains in many industries including coffee, cocoa, minerals, livestock and healthcare.

Below are just a few example projects that showcase the breadth of technologies, sectors and regions we work in.

GEOTRACEABILITYFOR PALM OIL:SUPPLIER SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

The oil palm crop is grown by millions of smallholderfarmers, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia, wheresmallholders manage 40% of land under palm oilproduction.

Gathering Weather Data in Turkey's Hazelnut Regions

Following a request from Ferrero SpA, GeoTraceability has been gathering, processing and visualising data from 20 different weather stations in Turkey for over two years. This project aims to provide more detailed information for weather risks in Hazelnut-producing regions in Turkey.

Gathering Weather Data in Turkey’s Hazelnut Regions

Example Weather Data

Following a request from Ferrero SaP, GeoTraceability has been gathering, processing and visualising data from 20 different weather stations in Turkey.

To gather Ferrero's weather data from around the Black Sea, we had to develop an API (Application Programming Interface). On agreement with Ferrero and the weather data provider, using an API, OPTEL’s GeoTraceability has been gathering data on weather indicators such as temperature, wind speed, humidity and rainfall levels. Each hour, our platform connects with 20 weather stations to grab a range of data that is subsequently displayed on Ferrero’s GeoT Web Account.

Since this API has been running, there have been almost zero interruption to the data-gathering process. We are now using multiple APIs to pull and push data among different systems and data sources.

This project aims to provide more detailed information about weather risks in Hazelnut production regions in Turkey.

Tracing Cocoa Beans in Ghana and Nigeria

This was a large-scale project, partnering with Ecom Agrotrade, which aimed to trace all certified and sustainable cocoa beans in Ghana and Nigeria from farm to the point of export. Over 90,000 tonnes of beans have so far been successfully traced using our technologies as part of this project.

Tracing Cocoa Beans in Ghana and Nigeria

This was a large-scale project, partnering with Ecom Agrotrade, which aimed to trace all certified and sustainable cocoa beans in Ghana and Nigeria from farm to the point of export. Over 90,000 tons of beans have so far been successfully traced using OPTEL’s GeoTraceability technologies as part of this project.

The system had to cover trading operations encompassing over 50,000 producers, 50 warehouses, 2 evacuation ports and a volume ranging from 40,000 to 60,000 tons per year. In just one year, the system had been successfully installed and was already in use. For the first time, a customer was able to sell its product and receive a premium for providing increased visibility of their procurement operations.”

FairTrade, COSA and GeoTraceability provided a suit of technologies to gather, process, host and visualise an extensive set of information on producer incomes and premium use for more than 3,400 smallholder cocoa farmers and 21 cooperatives in Cote d’Ivoire.

Income and Premium Assessment for Smallholder Cocoa Farmers in West Africa

This Fairtrade initiative aimed to assess the incomes of cocoa producers and how Fairtrade premiums were reaching individual producers in the world’s highest cocoa-producing nation, Cote d’Ivoire.

Drying: post-harvest treatment of cocoa beans, Cote d'Ivoire

For this project, we partnered with the Committee on Sustainable Assessment (COSA), who are experts in designing research methodologies, to create a technical data collection framework which would enable Fairtrade to gather, process, host and visualize information which could effectively assess producer incomes and premium flows.

Using OPTEL’s GeoTraceability mobile data collection solutions, Fairtrade was able to collect data on over 3,400 smallholder cocoa farmers and 21 cooperatives in Cote d’Ivoire, in just three months.

This project In fewer than three months, a substantial amount of data was collected by people who had never before even used mobile phone applications, which demonstrates that large quantities of data can be collected quickly and efficiently using our mobile applications. This project proved to be a valuable achievement for Fairtrade and its initiatives.

Measuring BIODIVERSTIY OF COCOA FARMS in west africa

Partnering with IFC and Bioversity International, we have designed a tool which would traffic-code fields according to their risk-level of negatively impacting the level of biodiversity in their fields and the sounding ecosystem.

Measuring Biodiversity of Cocoa Farms in Ghana

Partnering with Bioversity International and Armajaro Trading Ltd., we designed a tool which would traffic-code fields according to their biodiversity level.

Biodiversity Assessment, Ghana

The aim of this tool is to encourage biodiversity-friendly practices – addressing consumer concerns about a potential negative environmental impact for increased crop production. For instance, the data can be used to target particular farms, communities or regions for programs to distribute appropriate shade tree seedlings that could increase the variety of trees on the farm.

A key success of the project was the translation of a highly-technical field assessment method into a user-friendly tool, which has a comprehensible output report appropriate for any non-expert.

Users can expect to gain insights on factors like species diversity and carbon stock.

Together with Bioversity, we identified key biodiversity indicators relevant to cocoa production and then collected survey data on over 10,000 cocoa farms. By applying different weights to the results, our system was able to flag areas at high-risk of biodiversity loss, allowing actions to be taken.

Tracing conflict-free minerals in the Great Lakes Region

Partnering with the Better Sourcing Program, GeoTraceability is delivering an innovative digital traceability solution for conflict-free minerals (3T and gold) in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa. Pilot programs have so far been completed in Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

Tracing Conflict-free Minerals in the Great Lakes Region

OPTEL’s GeoTraceability is currently offering an innovative digital traceability solution for conflict-free minerals in the Great Lakes Region.

Partnering with the Better Sourcing Program, an organization that implements due diligence procedures that assure traced minerals are conflict-free, pilot programs have so-far been completed in Uganda, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

In addition to providing a bag and tag traceability solution for these complex mineral supply chains, our technologies are used to generate mine site and exporter profiles that link exporters with their suppliers.

Mine Site, DRC

In September 2016, one of GeoTraceability’s supply chain experts delivered on-site training to government agents in DRC where, since 2014, we have been operating under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government. This MOU promises that OPTEL’s GeoTraceability will deliver traceability services to the local mining sector, where needed.

We are pleased to contribute to efforts that aim to end violence fueled by illicit mineral trade. By providing a robust chain of custody (traceability) system that enables real time data sharing, we are empowering mining organisations to make more informed decisions.

GeoTraceability has also signed an MOU with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, an inter-governmental organisation with 12 member countries within the Great Lakes Region. Similarly, this MOU promises that OPTEL’s GeoTraceability will deliver its traceability services to mining sectors within this region, wherever needed.

MEASURING THE RISK OF CHILD LABOUR on cocoa farms in Ghana

Partnering with the IFC and Ergon Associates, OPTEL’s GeoTraceability helped design a system which could be used to assess the risk of child labour being present on cocoa farms in Ghana – the third largest cocoa producer in the world.

Measuring the Risk of Child Labour Existing in Ghana’s Cocoa Production Areas

In 2012, GeoTraceability helped develop, test and validate a child labour risk assessment tool for the cocoa industry in Ghana.

Driven by the expertise of Ergon Associates and the IFC, a set of indicators were identified, which were assumed to influence the likelihood of child labour being present in a particular cocoa-growing community. These indicators were then used to calculate an index that would flag specific fields demonstrating a high risk of child labour occurring.

The aim of the tool is to encourage interventions which might reduce the existence of risk-contributing factors to child labour. Subsequently, this would improve child protection in the cocoa industry and in cocoa growing communities, supporting the National Program for the Elimination of Child Labour in Cocoa in Ghana.

Distributing tailored farm business plans to palm fruit farmers IN SABAH, EAST MALAYSIA

Partnering with Wild Asia and Wilmar, we are implementing a system where data collected on Palm Fruit producers and their field conditions are being used to generate tailored Individual Farm Business Plans.

Distributing Tailored Farm Business Plans to Palm Fruit Farmers in East Malaysia

We are installing a software system which, at the click of a button, will generate tailored Farm Business Plans for hundreds of palm fruit producers in Sabah, East Malaysia.

Field Training with Wild Asia, Sabbah, East Malaysia

Using OPTEL’s GeoTraceability tools, data on farm conditions, producer farm practices and the surrounding environment - collected on behalf of Wilmar by Wild Asia - will be used to generate Individual Farm Business Plans.

These Individual Farm Business Plans will include an accurate measure of the producer’s farm, tailored recommendations for agricultural practices to be carried out on his/her field, a schedule for activities, a list of necessary inputs required, a production forecast and budget for the planned period.

The project, initiated and funded by Wilmar, also uses a traceability system to record the origin of fresh fruit bunches entering into their supply chain. This system provides a way for Wilmar to improve visibility of their palm oil supply chains and connect customers to their product’s origins.

BUILDING PRODUCTION CAPACITIES FOR COFFEE FARMERS IN UGANDA

Partnering with the Carana Corportation, we designed a system to measure the success of interventions which aimed to support coffee farmers to increase their production capacity, and trace the products these farmers produced.

Building Production Capacity for Smallholders Coffee Farmers in Uganda

In the West Nile Region of rural Northern Uganda, our client CARANA Corp., leads a program aiming to increase coffee production and improve the livelihoods of 16,000 farmers.

The project required a system to gather, store and analyse a baseline set of producer data and a system to measure the program’s success using a number of key performance indicators to indicate improvements to yield and livelihood.

Post-harvest coffee treatment, Uganda

For this project, OPTEL’s GeoTraceability developed field tools to collect baseline data on field characteristics, agricultural practices and farmer’s socioeconomic status. Via our web platform, the data will be analysed in order to evaluate the impact of the project’s initiatives on production levels and livelihoods.

The CARANA Corp. partnered with a trader to ensure the coffee farmers had direct market access. To strengthen this partnership, we established a traceability system that could link the product delivered to this trader, to the field data gathered on its producers. This allows the trader to make better sourcing decisions and continue investing in and developing their supply chain resilience and security.

This project gathered a wide range of data -- mapping, households, production, infrastructures, training, nursery locations and training plot locations. The results enabled Carana to adapt their interventions to more accurately address the needs of project beneficiaries, while effectively reporting on project outcomes.